On African Proverbs
“Only a fool tests the depth of a river with two feet.” — Always start small, then either move on or get bigger depending on how things are going.
“Examine what is said, not who is speaking.” — I would rather learn from someone who has done what I want to do than from someone who has a PhD (but no actual experience) in what I am trying to do.
“A roaring lion kills no game.” — Don’t talk, just do and let your results do the talking.
“Do not look where you feel. Look where you slipped.” — Take care of the downside and the upside will take care of itself.
“Restless feet might walk you into a snake pit.” — Don’t jump around too much. Inch wide, mile deep.
“No shortcuts exist to the top of a palm tree.” — Most all of my colossal life mistakes and regrets happened because of stupid and impatient me trying to take shortcuts.
“Tomorrow belongs to people who prepare for it today.” — Most people just bounce around randomly from one thing or problem or job or relationship or shitshow to another, most people are miserable and unsuccessful. Connect the dots and make a plan.
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“No medicine exists that can cure hatred.” — The only thing you should hate is hate itself.
“However long the night, the dawn will break.” — Hang in there, nothing lasts forever, good or bad.
“Don’t think there are no crocodiles just because the water is calm.” — Always protect the downside, because there is always a downside and loss hurts at least 3X as much as gain feels good.
“One falsehood spoils a thousand truths.” — A stellar reputation, like a strong credit score, takes years or decades to build up but no time at all to burn to the ground.
“When an old man dies, a library is burned with him.” — When an old woman dies, two libraries are buried with her. Most people are too busy repeating the mistakes of the previous generation to learn from our elders’ hard-won wisdom.
“When you marry a monkey for his wealth, the money goes but the monkey remains.” — Your choice of marriage partner is perhaps the single most impactful decision of your life, choose wisely.
“When one is in love, a cliff becomes a meadow.” — This is why finding work you love is such a superpower.
“It’s better to fall from a tree and break your back than to fall in love and break your heart.” — Way back in 2001, I foolishly jumped off a waterfall in the Philippines and broke my back on the hard impact with the water, I was laid up in the hospital for a week, wasn’t sure I would ever walk again, and the pain was excruciating. I have also had my heart broken by a woman and that hurt 10X worse than the crushed vertebra.
